Some clarifications...

Hi Ward;

I noticed in the video, you did not select "Create partial files" in OM when you created your DevForce Model. However, in the SL project, in the "Model" directory you created a "Partial" class for customer manually, which as you explained, will only be used in SL client.
a) So, if I was going to have the "Add" and "Delete" capability for employee, I would basically create a new Employee class that drives from the two interfaces and now, I have the ADD and DELETE icons/feature activated. Correct?

b) Now, what if you had also asked the OM create all the partial classes. Will those be primarily used as "Server" logic, if any code was added? I'm trying to formulate how I should organize the solution that client code and server codes run independently.

c) what was the motive behind building this template? Was it as a guideline how we should build and organize or projects and split the codes following the MVVM that is shown in this template? Or was this template designed for people to use it as a template for creating their CRUD routines?

Thanks!

Hi Ward;

Thank you for extensive answer; Had a couple questions on your points.

It is easy to create a partial class file WHEN YOU'RE READY TO EXTEND THE CLASS WITH SUBSTANCE. In it's entirety that class is: public partial class Customer {...}

In EF when you want EF to create your classes from the table(s), you can either select the ALL tables on the TreeView or you can select individual tables. Similarly, for OM, can you add that feature where we can select either all tables or individual tables to be generated? Right now, it's either ALL or NOTHING!

In principle there should be no difference between the entity class on the client and the entity class on the server. So the proper way to do things is to create the Customer partial class on the full DotNet model project (the server project) and and then link to it in the corresponding Silverlight client model project.

So, in the case of ME, the "Model" folder with two interfaces and Customer.cs should actually be in the "Server project"?
I'm trying to formulate a solution structure, so when I usually start a project, I first build the structure of the solution with all the folders and virtual floders and supporting files, before I build an app.
A guideline for building DevForce structure would be very useful! Thanks.

In the Model Explorer, the Customer partial class file has logic for adding and deleting. I only add or delete on the Silverlight client. Because I don't add or delete on the server, I won't miss that functionality in the server version of the model.

So, would be safe to say, actions that are client specific, like above should stay in client?

Thank again Ben and Ward.  Ben for the probing and well timed questions, Ward for exposing your depth of knowledge and experience.  It sure helps to have such detail while comming to grips with DFSL.  Keep it up PLEASE.

Dominic, I hope you're spending some time reading the guide. As an old vetran in Business Solution provider, it's a joy to see the people who developed DevForce have a great real life "experience". You can tell this product was designed and developed from experience and not theory. So, be sure to read the guide.
Just my two cents!

Hi Ben, If you mean the DF Developer Guide then yes, a good read, done that, and it'll be my consummate & handy reference for the next few years.  As I mentioned in my verbose post last week, and likewise yourself, we still need some more examples that the guide hasn't exposed, albeit, the SL thing is still very fresh so no wonder.  It'll catch up.

Ward, perhaps you misunderstood me or I wasn't clear. I was not talking about the EF code generation and EDMX deletion. I was referring to OM creating all the partial classes first and then in the VS explorer I can delete any partial class I don't need, i.e. Employee.cs

Hope this is more clear!
Thanks!


Edited by BenHayat - 23-Apr-2009 at 3:32pm

Yes .. Yes .. I know.  Please bear with me.